If you were injured in a car accident as a result of another person’s negligence, you could be dealing with considerable medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Luckily, an experienced Dallas car accident lawyer from Zinda Law Group can guide you through this difficult time.
They’ll investigate the collision, build a facts-based insurance claim, and aggressively pursue the compensation you need to pay your bills and get your life back in order. Reach out to a Dallas personal injury lawyer from our team to get started on your case.
Types of Car Accidents a Dallas Lawyer Can File a Claim for
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were 31,867 accidents in Dallas, including 205 fatal accidents that resulted in 225 fatalities in 2020.
Statistics also show that serious accidents can result from a number of different factors. Our Dallas car accident attorneys are familiar with all the common types of collisions and can help you pursue financial remedies no matter what caused your crash. Here are some of the types of accidents we can help you file a claim for:
Drunk Driving Accidents
When motorists drive with alcohol in their system, they endanger everyone around them. If you were injured in a collision caused by a drunk driver, you have the right to seek damages for the injuries and losses you’ve suffered.
A car accident lawyer from Dallas can investigate the incident, refer to the official police accident report, and draw on other sources of evidence to build a strong claim for your compensation.
Distracted Driving Accidents
Distracted driving is defined as any action that diverts attention from driving, such as sending a text message, talking on the cell phone, eating and drinking, and tinkering with the stereo. Distracted drivers put you, your passengers, and everyone else on the road in danger by engaging in distractions around them.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are three main types of distractions:
- Visual: taking your eyes off the road
- Manual: taking your hands off the wheel
- Cognitive: taking your mind off driving
Sending a text is perhaps the most dangerous activity to do while driving because it involves all three types of distractions. If you’ve been injured in such an incident, you could be struggling with severe injuries and exorbitant medical bills.
The good news is that a car accident attorney from our team in Dallas can fight for the settlement you need to cope with the pain you’re experiencing, pay all your current and future medical bills, and replace any other losses you’ve incurred.
Fatigued Driving Accidents
Driving while fatigued is comparable to driving while intoxicated. The sleepier a driver is, the worse their reaction times, awareness of hazards, and capacity for sustained concentration.
Furthermore, driving after more than 20 hours without sleep equates to having a blood alcohol content of 0.08%, and being fatigued makes you three times more likely to be in a car crash.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a fatigued driving crash, our team can help you seek justice and fair compensation.
Speeding Accidents
Speeding is especially dangerous because it weakens the efficacy of the vehicle’s safety equipment. In addition, speeding leads to an increased degree of crash severity leading to more severe injuries. Nationwide, speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of all traffic accident fatalities.
If you’ve sustained severe or even minor injuries in a speeding accident, it’s in your best interest to reach out to a Dallas car accident attorney. They’ll help you get the compensation you deserve to stay comfortable and financially stable during your recovery process.
Injuries We Can Help You Recover from
As two vehicles collide with one another, a lot of force is exerted very quickly. By twisting and bending your body in ways it was not supposed to move, the direction and intensity of the force could cause great harm.
In our firm’s 15 years of practicing personal injury law, we’ve helped accident victims recover from a number of different injuries. We’re familiar with the medical treatments you’ll need to get back on your feet and can demand the compensation you need to pay for them.
We’ll work tirelessly to recover the damages you need to afford treatment for any of the following conditions:
Soft Tissue Injuries
Damage to the body’s muscles, ligaments, or tendons results in soft tissue injuries. In addition to being brought on by overuse, they can also be brought on by abrupt trauma, such as in a car accident. The most common types of soft tissue injuries include:
- Sprains
- Strains
- Contusions
- Whiplash
Chronic pain, bruising, swelling, and loss of function are typical symptoms of soft tissue injuries. Additionally, an acute injury, such as a soft tissue injury, could severely impact a person’s range of motion. Your doctor should inform you of the best treatment for your soft tissue injury.
Head Injuries
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is sudden brain damage brought on by a blow to the head. Vehicle and motorbike accidents are frequently the cause of TBIs. According to the National Library of Medicine, four criteria are used to grade the severity of TBI:
- Structural imaging
- Loss of consciousness
- Alteration of consciousness/mental state
- Post-traumatic amnesia
- Glasgow coma scale
Doctors use these criteria to determine whether a TBI is mild, moderate, or severe. A TBI can have a permanent negative impact on your brain’s ability to function properly. Some brain injuries can heal quickly, but depending on the severity of the damage, the process of treating a TBI may last a lifetime.
Our car accident lawyers in Dallas know how serious a TBI diagnosis is. We’ll work with your medical team to calculate how much compensation you’ll need to afford current and long-term medical care and fight for every last penny you’re owed.
Mental and Emotional Injuries
Any time our bodies experience tremendous stress, like a car accident, there is a chance that mental and emotional trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), can manifest.
Aversion to specific sounds or pictures connected to the collision, fear of driving, and sleep issues brought on by anxiety or nightmares can all be symptoms. Symptoms of mental and emotional injuries also include:
- Dissociation
- Avoidant behavior
- Detachment and alienation
- Hypervigilance and hypersensitivity
- Intrusive thoughts
Your best course of action is treatment since psychologists and therapists may assist you in overcoming PTSD and resuming your normal life. Before making a PTSD diagnosis, doctors consider several factors.
Usually, PTSD symptoms need to last for longer than a month. Most people who have PTSD after a car accident do so within three months, but symptoms may not show up for several more months.
Establishing Negligence in a Dallas Car Accident Case
To establish negligence, you must know what constitutes negligence in the first place. There are four elements required to prove negligence, and several types of evidence are required to prove each element.
The elements of negligence are the duty of care, a breach of that obligation, causation, and damages. All four elements must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. Our car accident attorneys in Dallas will use evidence from their investigation of your collision to prove the four following elements:
Duty of Care
Establishing that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care is the first step in a motor vehicle accident claim. Although it can be challenging to establish in other sorts of lawsuits, it is rarely a concern in car accidents.
This is so that everyone driving knows they have a responsibility to drive safely and responsibly. For example, reckless driving is a violation of Title 7, § 545 of the Texas Transportation Code, which is enforced by law.
Causation
To prove causation, the plaintiff must show that the collision was the direct cause of their injuries. In other words, the plaintiff must demonstrate a strong enough link between the defendant’s negligence and the plaintiff’s injuries.
It’s typically at this stage in a car accident litigation where defendants will allege that the plaintiff’s injuries existed before the accident. Evidence of medical treatment within a short time after the accident helps establish that the defendant’s negligent driving caused the injuries.
Damages
Damages are the final element required to prove negligence. To satisfy this element, your auto accident attorney will have to show that your collision caused you to suffer financial losses. They can use copies of your medical bills and vehicle repair bills to prove this aspect of your case.
CASE RESULTS
Compensation You Could Receive from a Car Accident Claim
According to CDC, medical bills and missed wages from fatal auto accidents totaled roughly $44 billion in 2016. After discussing the facts of your case, a Dallas personal injury attorney can review your options for recovery. The first step in developing an automobile accident case is to conduct an investigation.
After compiling proof showing the other motorist was at fault, a car accident attorney from our team in Dallas can then begin working to recover any damages you may be eligible to claim. You may be able to file a claim for the following compensatory damages:
- Medical bills
- Cost of physical therapy
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity due to long-term physical impairments
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Mental anguish or emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
You might need continuous care or future care, depending on the severity of your wounds. If you work with a member of our team, we will make sure to account for all your accident-related losses, including past, present, and future losses.
Additionally, you could receive punitive damages if the defendant was engaged in particularly egregious conduct when they caused your injury.
Can I Bring a Legal Claim If My Family Member Was Killed in a Car Accident?
You may be eligible to file a “wrongful death” lawsuit if your loved one has died as a result of another’s negligence or carelessness. Filing such a claim can help you obtain restitution for the losses suffered by you and your surviving family members, including burial costs, lost companionship, and more.
State-by-state variations in wrongful death laws affect who may file claims and whether there are any restrictions on the amounts of damages that may be awarded. Generally, the people who can file a wrongful death claim include:
- Parents
- Children
- Spouse
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the first leading cause of death among people aged 15-29, causing 1.3 million deaths per year. If your loved one was killed in a negligent driving accident, call to speak with a Dallas personal injury attorney today.
We can discuss the potential of bringing a wrongful death lawsuit and the damages you may be eligible to recover if successful.
What to Do After a Car Accident
There are a few steps you can take after a car accident to ensure your safety and ensure that you can seek compensation:
Call the Police
After an accident, call the police. The police play an essential role in the legal process because they are the first step in creating official documentation of your car accident. The police will file an official police report that will serve as critical evidence in your claim.
Seek Necessary Medical Attention
If you have sustained any injuries whatsoever, seek medical attention immediately. Making sure that you are safe and healthy is the most important thing you can do. You cannot fight for compensation unless your well-being is taken care of first.
Exchange Information With the Driver
If your injuries aren’t severe, you can stick around at the scene of the crash to take care of a few important matters. First, you’ll want to speak with the other driver(s) involved in the incident and take down their insurance information.
Knowing who was involved in the collision will help our Dallas car accident lawyers do their job, so you can get the compensation you deserve.
Document the Accident
Next, you’ll want to take photos of the accident scene and document anything else that seems significant. Make sure to take close-up shots of vehicle damage on all cars involved. You’ll also want to keep a written log of the pain and emotional distress you experience in the hours and days following the crash.
Our car accident lawyers can use your records and photographs to file a strong claim for compensation.
Consult With an Attorney
Car accidents can be devastating, but having a qualified attorney on your side can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact a Dallas car accident lawyer from our law firm today to discuss your case.
How Long do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Dallas?
Every state has what is known as a statute of limitations for car accident suits. The statute of limitations dictates how much time you have to file a civil suit after an auto accident. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003 gives you two years from the date of your collision to submit a civil suit.
If you wait any longer to file your suit, you could be denied the financial remedies you need to pay your medical bills, get your car fixed, replace employment-related losses, and cope with the physical and mental pain from your crash.
Instead of risking your financial and physical recovery, get in touch with an experienced car accident lawyer from Dallas today. They’ll offer you a free consultation, determine if you’re eligible to file a claim and make sure all important state deadlines are met.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Dallas Injury Attorney
At Zinda Law Group, our personal injury attorneys have helped many families seek the justice and compensation they deserve after a traffic accident. We have the knowledge, experience, and resources necessary to help you through this difficult time, and as our client, you will pay nothing unless we win your case.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Dallas car accident lawyer from our firm. If they agree to take on your car, they’ll give you personalized attention and work with investigators to uncover the information they need to obtain maximum compensation for you.
Our Awards
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA BY THE NATIONAL TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (2016-2020)
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA (2009, 2011-2012, 2014-2021), & NEIL SOLOMON (2020-2021)
AWARDED TO JACK ZINDA (2016-2020)
LIFETIME MEMBERS JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA
John (Jack) Zinda
Founder / CEO
Over 100 years of combined experience representing injured victims across the country.
Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation
Neil Solomon
Partner
Real results matter. We do not get paid unless we win your case.
Available 24 / 7|Free Consultation
